Have you ever made a jam tart? We can't think of an easier old-fashioned dessert. You just spread a pretty little shortbread base with some thick, tasty jam, and bake it until it's shiny and a little thick. So delicious, simple, and easy for spring. Here's a closer look at the last one we made.

I had a ball of lemon shortbread dough left over from a batch of cookies, and when I was thinking about what do with it I got inspired by a recipe from The Splendid Table - you can see it here: • Rustic Jam Shortbread Tart Recipe, reprinted at Serious Eats

So I made the dough into a little freeform tart. I rolled it out into a rectangle, then pinched the edges so they would stand up. When the dough is slightly chilled it's very easy to work with. You could put it in a tart mold, too, but this is even easier. And of course this recipe is an ideal one for making little mini tarts or jam cookies.

Heat the oven to 425°. Pat the dough out and shape it on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake it for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden. (Watch it! As you can see, I let mine burn a bit.) Remove and let cool for a few minutes. Increase the heat to 500°. Cover the tart base with jam, sprinkle with chopped nuts, and put in the oven for about ten minutes, or until the jam bubbles slightly or gets a smooth glazed look.

Remove and let cool for at least 20 minutes - hot jam is not fun to eat!

Have you ever made a jam tart? What's your favorite kind of jam to put on top?

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Faith is the executive editor of The Kitchn and the author of three cookbooks. They include The Kitchn Cookbook, coauthored with Sara Kate Gillingham, as well as Bakeless Sweets. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband Mike.